The Expo-Russia Vietnam 2017, the second of its kind, kicked off in Hanoi on December 13.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said that the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union is opening up more cooperative opportunities for Vietnam and Russia and other signatories.

He asked the two countries’ business communities to actively study the agreement’s contents to take advantage of opportunities brought by this agreement.

Russia is Vietnam’s important trade partner with two-way trade hitting 3.2 billion USD in the first 11 months of 2017, or a year-on-year rise of 26.7 percent. However, the figure is quite modest compared with the target of 10 billion USD in 2020 set by the two countries’ leaders, Dung said.

At the same time, Vietnam is willing to welcome agricultural and industrial products, especially in Russia’s strong fields such as energy, oil and gas exploitation, industrial equipment, automotive production and mineral, he said.

The Expo-Russia Vietnam 2017, which will last until December 15, is attracting about 100 Russian enterprises operating in energy, mechanics, transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, mining, chemical, agriculture and high technology.

On the day, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the second EXPO Russia-Vietnam Organising Board, held the Vietnam-Russia Business Forum as part of the Expo-Russia Vietnam 2017.-VNA/VNP